St Thomas' News
02 July 2021
St Thomas’ Primary School is part of a faith community centred on the life of Jesus, as expressed in our Motto, ‘Together in Christ’
Our Vision is to 'Educate the Whole Child' and empower learners as global citizens, to be curious, collaborative, creative and critical thinkers, inspired by Christ.
Important Dates
TERM THREE
19 July - Staff PD - Pupil Free Day
20 July - Students Commence Term Three
21 July - Parish Mass Year 6
21 July - iPad Y3 Parent Session 3:15 pm
26 July - Performing Arts Piano Solos this week
27 July - Advisory Council 7 pm
04 August - Parish Mass Y4
06 August - Prayer Service Mary Mackillop 9 am
07 August - Feast of Mary Mackillop
10 August - ICAS Digital Technologies
11 August - Parish Mass Y3
11 August - Confirmation Retreat Y6
12 August - Robogals - Yrs 4 - 6 girls
13 August - Feast of the Assumption Prayer Service 9 am
14 August - Feast of the Assumption
16 August - Science Week
17 August - ICAS English
18 August - Parish Mass Y2
18 August - ICAS English
20 August - Assembly Y4
20 August - Jumps & Throws Yrs 1 & 2
20 August - Y6 Confirmation 5:30 pm
23 August - Start of Book Week
23 August - MS Readathon
23 August - Choral Singing CPAF
24 August - ICAS Science
24 August - Advisory Council 7 pm
25 August - Jumps & Throws Yrs 3 - 6
25 August - ICAS Science Y2
26 August - Jumps & Throws Yrs 5 & 6
27 August - Jumps & Throws Yrs 1 - 4
30 August - Drama Club Assembly & Drama Club Showcase Evening
31 August - Fathers Day Liturgy
31 August - CPAF - Speech & Drama Duologue Yrs 5&6 Drama
01 September - Parish Mass Y1
01 September - CPAF Drama Plays Yrs 5 & 6
01 September - ICAS Mathematics Yrs 2 - 4
02 September - ICAS Mathematics Yrs 5 & 6
03 September - St Thomas' Athletics Carnival
08 September - Parish Mass Y6
15 September - Oracy Y3
15 September - Parish Mass Y5
16 September - School Waste Education Day
17 September - Assembly Y3
21 September - Interschool Athletics Carnival Yrs 3 - 6
21 September - Advisory Council 7 pm
22 September - Parish Mass Y4
23 September - Last Day of Term Three for all students
24 September - Pupil Free Day
(Please note dates & events are subject to change)
End of Term Prayer
For our challenges, our successes, and
the mistakes from which we have learnt.
Be with us as we spend our time with family and friends.
Give us strength and courage to do what is right:
to be witnesses of our faith.
We ask this through Christ our Lord
Amen.
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Parents and Friends
As we conclude our term, I would like to share the words of Pope Francis shared on social media, "Educating is an act of love; it is like giving life." In this tweet, Pope Francis reminds his followers to thank all those involved in educating the next generation, especially those who teach and work in Catholic schools. He emphasised that educating and teaching is an act of love– and at St Thomas’ Primary, we know this to be true.
The passionate and dedicated staff at St Thomas’ have worked tirelessly to ensure minimal disruption to student learning during the COVID situation this semester, and to ensure that students feel safe and happy coming to school each day. We have so much to be grateful for, and so many things to celebrate within each school day. I would like to express my gratitude to students, staff, and to you, our parents, for your wonderful support throughout the term and for your understanding in this time of change.
Edu-Dance
It was lovely to see so many parents attend the EduDance concert yesterday afternoon, the first opportunity in three years due to COVID restrictions, to see the concert in person. Edu-Dance is all about participation and having fun and this was evident throughout each class performance. A big thank you to Mrs Voysey, our EduDance teacher, and to all parents for assisting with the costumes.
St Thomas’ Feast Day
St Thomas’ Feast Day is an important occasion at our school as we celebrate our namesake St Thomas' the Apostle and the Presentation Sisters, who founded our school in 1909. St Thomas was one of the people who was closest to Jesus. He spent about three years witnessing his miracles and hearing his teachings but didn’t believe Jesus was resurrected until he saw for himself.
All parents and caregivers are invited to celebrate Mass with students and staff with the Presentation Sisters, in the Church at 9am
Academic All Stars
After winning the competition in 2020, St Thomas’ hosted the 2021 Academic Allstars Competition. Competing across eight disciplines. The disciplines involved Chess, Engineering, Poetry, Art, English, Mathematics, General Knowledge and Drama. Congratulations to Rebecca, Kian, Rory, Jackson, Alice, Rueben, Caleb, Lucas and Natalia, for representing our school. A big thank you to Mrs Keatch for preparing our team and for organising this event.
Social Justice in Action
On the 22 June, our Year 6 students joined the Year 6 students at Iona Junior School as Presentation Schools, to participate in a ‘Hunger Banquet’. Students were divided into different socio-economic classes and provided with food accordingly. They learnt about how poverty can impact people’s lives and reflected on one change that they can make in their lives to increase awareness of poverty and world hunger, as well as recognising God’s call to care for all people as part of creation.
Quiz Night
Congratulations to our P & F for organising a fantastic Quiz Night on the 18 June. It was lovely to see our community coming together to laugh and have fun whilst raising funds to support our Robotics programme. A big thank you to our P & F Executive Bianca Della Vedova, Melissa Trend, Melissa di Latte and Thomas Curnow, parents and all our sponsors.
Staffing
Mrs Ann Barry will be taking long service leave for the next six months. Mrs Nicola Hurst will join our team as the Health Specialist. Mrs Corinna Herbert will continue her role as Music and Performing Arts Specialist but will increase her teaching role to four days per week to include Early Intervention. We wish Mrs Barry all the very best as she enjoys quality time with her family and friends.
Term 3
A big thank you to our amazing students, staff and parents for a wonderful term and Father Wayne for his spiritual guidance and your support. We look forward to seeing all our students return to school on Tuesday 20 July. Have a safe and happy holiday break.
God bless
Natalia Thomson
Principal
Congratulations to our Year Four students on receiving their First Holy Communion.
Last Friday night 14 students received the Sacrament of Eucharist for the first time. It was a joyous occasion, where the St Thomas the Apostle Church was filled with close family and friends to share in the occasion. A big congratulations to all students on taking this step along their faith journey. We are all so proud of you both on the night, and for your application to the knowledge component of the Eucharist program at school. Well done and thank you to the peers of those students who attended and took part in the celebration, despite not receiving their First Holy Communion on the night. Your friends are very lucky to have you as supporters of their faith journey.
Thank you to Fr Wayne for celebrating the mass with us, and to the St Thomas’ staff for the various roles they played ensuring the night was a beautiful occasion. Thank you to Mrs Herbert and the choir for the fantastic music that filled the air. Thank you to Mrs Coniglio (and the Coniglio family!) for the cupcakes for the children to celebrate, as well as for coordinating the flowers in the church – and for those who assisted with the flowers. Thank you to the parents for your support of your children and of the school sacramental program. This was a true community celebration, which St Thomas’ is known for and it was an amazing experience to share.
Heath Nankivell
Assistant Principal
St Thomas' Feast Day Celebrations
Academic All Stars 2021!
Pre-Kindergarten/Kindergarten 2022 & 2023
Enrolments are now being taken for siblings and new students wishing to commence Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten at St Thomas’ in 2022 and 2023. Kindergarten places are limited so it is important that parents within the St Thomas’ School community submit their applications as soon as possible. Application forms can be obtained from the office.
ICAS Assessments 2021 Participation
ICAS Assessments are online. This allows greater accessibility for students and faster delivery of results.
You are invited to choose all or any of the competitions for your child to sit.
In 2021, payment for the online assessments can be done via the Parent Payment Portal.
If you would like your child to participate in any of the subjects listed below, please visit the online Parent Payment System to make a direct payment to UNSW Global and to nominate the assessments you would like your child to participate in. The Parent Payment System is a simple and secure online payment service specifically for parents to purchase ICAS Assessments.
The web link is: https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/pps
Our school’s unique access code is: MXG109
Online payment closes Friday, 20 July 2021.
IMPORTANT: Please enter your child’s name accurately into the System as it will appear on their ICAS certificate.
Subject Year Levels eligible to sit the assessment sitting dates @ St Thomas’ Primary School
ICAS Science
Years 2-6 (Online) 24/25 August
ICAS Digital Technologies
Years 3-6 (Online) 10 /11 August
ICAS English
Years 2-6 (Online) 17/18 August
ICAS Mathematics
Years 2-6 (Online) 17/18 September
Parents are also encouraged to visit the ICAS website unsw.global/ICAS to gather more background information on these competitions and to access practice items to help your child prepare for the competition. You may purchase practice papers or Mrs Keatch and I have past papers you are welcome to borrow.
Please do not hesitate to contact the school office if you have any questions.
Natalia Thomson
Principal
Congratulations to our Merit Award Winners
St Thomas' Chess Club
P&F News
What a tremendous time we all had going back to the '80s for the St Thomas P&F All Out '80s Quiz Night! There was lycra, there was leopard print, there were fishnets ... and that was just on our St Thomas Dads! Everyone went all out with their amazing costumes with Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Indiana Jones and Maverick (just to name a few!) making an unforgettable appearance!
A big congratulations to “The Graduates”, the St Thomas alumni table, for taking home the coveted Quiz Night trophy!!
A very special thank you to:
- everyone who came along to the Quiz Night, made a bid in our Silent Auction, bought a Robot through our "Buy a Robot" opportunity and participated in our fundraising games on the night,
- those families who were unable to attend but very generously made a donation directly to our Robotics Program,
- all our generous donors and sponsors who supported our Silent Auction and prize pool for the night (a full list of which is set out in this Newsletter),
- Claremont Bowling Club and Quizzame who were both a delight to deal with and ensured the night ran so smoothly, and
- '80s aerobic instructor Mel Trend, '80s disco clubber Mel Di Latte and '80s punk rocker Tom Curnow (who wears leopard print and eyeliner better than me) for your incredible hard work on, and in the lead up to, the night.
You all contributed to the Quiz Night being the tremendous success it was and because of you, we will be able to make an enormous contribution towards our Robotics Reboot placing more robots in every classroom from PP - Year 6 and in your children's hands.
We will be announcing the total raised on the night in Week 1 of Term 3 so stay tuned! If you made a pledge on the evening, we thank you! You would have received an email from us setting out how you can make that donation. Thank you in advance for settling your donation which will help us finalise our fundraising total.
School Wish List
We are delighted to inform the community that at our last Meeting, the P&F approved funding the following initiatives which will benefit all our St Thomas students:
- new stools for our Art/Science Room;
- new mathematic resources;
- replacing and purchasing new take home readers and books;
- new stools for our Maker Space;
- a cyber safety and social media presentation for both parents and students;
- an outdoor portable sound system to be used for outdoor school events;
as well as the bouncy castle and sausage sizzle that all students enjoyed yesterday for St Thomas' Day.
Your support of P&F activities and initiatives enables us to be able to provide this level of financial support. All of these items will have a positive impact on children across all year groups.
Community Garden Project
It is wonderful to see our Green Team and children in action as they recreate and reimagine our School Community Garden. A very big thank you to Sha Ragnauth for your amazing efforts securing the significant IGA Taylor Road donation towards this project!
Parent Helpers - we'd love you to sign up!
We invite all parents and caregivers to follow the link below to see ways you can get involved with P&F initiatives for the remainder of the School year. Many hands make light work and the more volunteers we have, the more we can do for our children and our School.
Until next term, have a safe and enjoyable break.
Bianca Della Vedova
President
St Thomas P&F
Top 5 Reasons why Physical Education is as important as schoolwork
1. Enhances an individual’s ability to concentrate and maintain focus:
Several studies show that performing physical activities helps in enlarging the basal ganglia of the brain. The Basal Ganglia is a part of the brain which is responsible to maintain an individual’s capability to focus. In this current era students have several diversions in the form of technologies (Television, tablets, PCs, Mobile phones), therefore, it is difficult for them to maintain focus. By promoting physical education, school teachers can help them improve their concentration. Schools have Physical Education classes, and offer other physical games and exercises which require concentration. Thus, students are promoted to take part in such activities along with their school work, so this will help in maintaining their healthy body and minds.
2. Important for healthy growth and development:
In today’s world, many school children eat unhealthy foods. These may include the fries, soft drinks, pizzas and burgers. Consuming these on a regular basis can lead to childhood obesity.
Physical education at school helps in preventing obesity and high blood pressure. Physical exercise and activities will help them burn off their extra calories. If these calories are not burned off they will be stored as fat. By doing physical exercises individuals use their extra calories to gain energy.
Plus, such activities play an important role in the healthy growth and development of bones and cartilages. Bone strengthening exercises such as jumping are particularly important for school children as such activities produce a force onto the bone that helps enhance its strength and growth. While muscle strengthening exercises make muscles larger and stronger, they also help children carry more weight and aid in protecting joints against injuries.
Being physically active makes the students energetic and strong which motivates them to take interest in classroom activities. Exercises which help strengthen muscles include:
· Climbing Trees.
· Monkey bar exercises.
· Bike Riding.
· Push ups.
· Hula hooping.
A physically active student will also have a healthy heart. Any exercise which provides oxygen to the muscles is called as an aerobic exercise. Such exercises are essential for a healthy heart. Research shows, that kids who perform aerobic exercises, two to three times a week for at least twenty minutes, have a healthier heart as compared to those who don’t take part in physical education. Some of the healthy aerobic exercises are:
· Playing Basketball, Soccer, Football, Netball etc.
· Swimming.
· Running/Cross Country.
· Jumping rope.
3. Prevents sleep deprivation:
A complete night’s sleep is an essential component of a happy and healthy life. Those students who take part in physical activities and exercise regularly have a tired and exhausted body which craves a good night’s sleep.
Complete sleep makes kids more upright and attentive in the classroom. Being attentive will help prevent them from performing careless mistakes and will provide them energy to be helpful towards teachers and their fellow students.
4. Helps in relieving stress and anxiety:
School life is hectic for every individual. Therefore, taking part in physical activities and education allows students to relieve their academic stress and anxiety. Stress might be due to a fight with a friend or a low grade despite of hard work. Stressed students are not able to concentrate and focus on their academic performance if they are not allowed time to de-stress.
Physical activities give them an environment to breathe out their stress. By exercising and breathing deeply, we provide extra air to our lungs which in turn provides more oxygen to the brain, this makes the brain feel relaxed and stress free.
A physically active individual is more likely to be happy and healthy, which makes them a better student in the classroom. They often feel proud and happy about themselves and are good towards their fellow students.
5. Physical education makes an individual flexible and happy:
Balancing exercise and stretching, helps improve physical balance which decreases the chances of injuries. Those students who make physical education as important as their school work become more flexible in their routine life. Such activities make the body elastic and flexible. It allows an individual to manage both a physical and mental workload. Scientific research reveals the fact that physical education in school helps in improving the connections between neurons of the brain. Healthy and well-connected neurons help improve the over-all thinking ability of students. Thus, making them better students in classroom.
SPORTS NEWS
LIGHTNING CARNIVAL
On Friday 18th June all of the Year 5 and 6 students took part in the Interschool Winter Lightning Carnival and what a beautiful winters day it was! Students participated in round robin games of either AFL 9’s, Netball or Soccer. I would like to thank those parents who gave up their valuable time to volunteer and assist the staff with the teams on the day; Oscar Dominguez, Jacob Burns, Gemma Grosse and Melissa Trend, your assistance is very much appreciated.
I would like to congratulate all students on the amazing way they represented the school and their wonderful sportsmanship.
Results:
Soccer Team A – 2nd
Soccer Team B – 4th
Netball Year 6 A – 7th
Netball Year 5 B – 1st Winners for 2021
AFL 9’s – 3rd
Well done to the staff, Lila Gibbs, Liam Godsall and Heath Nankivell who coached the teams during our Friday afternoon sport session.
Congratulations to our Netball Year 5 team, who were champions for 2021.
Upcoming Events TERM 3
St Thomas Athletics Carnival – 3rd September at UWA Sports Park
Interschool Athletics Carnival – Tuesday 21st September
Holiday Clinics and Programs please see flyers below.
2021 Term Dates for Students
Term 2
Tuesday 20 April to Friday 2 July
Term 3
Tuesday 20 July to Thursday 23 September
Term 4
Tuesday 12 October to Friday 10 December
Pupil Free Days
Monday 19 April
Friday 4 June
Monday 19 July
Friday 24 September
Monday 11 October
St Thomas' Primary School
Email: admin@stthomas.wa.edu.au
Website: stthomas.wa.edu.au
Location: 8 Warden Street Claremont WA 6010
Phone: (08 9286 9500
Facebook: www.facebook.com/stthomasprimaryschoolclaremont
Twitter: @StThomasCPS